Sydney Sweeney is facing a wave of criticism from female athletes over her new advertising campaign for sports prediction platform Novig. The Sydney Sweeney Novig ad, which launched September 9, features the actress posing nude or nearly nude while using footballs, tennis rackets, and other athletic equipment to cover herself. In one sequence, she reclines on a pool table and delivers the line, “You can’t trade this; I just look good here”.
The backlash was immediate and fierce. Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus called the ad “an absolute joke” and “a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft”. British sprinter Amy Hunt, after running a season-best 22.10 seconds, told BBC Sport: “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears”. Australian surfer Felicity Palmateer told CNN the campaign is “very damaging, especially for young females getting into sport”. Dozens of other athletes joined the chorus, sharing training footage under the message, “This is what a woman in sport looks like”.
Sweeney appeared to respond by sharing covers from ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue” on her Instagram Stories, featuring athletes like Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and Megan Rapinoe who posed nude or semi-nude to celebrate athleticism. She also defended the campaign in a statement, saying it was “about embracing a fun idea” and bringing “confidence, humor and a playful edge”. However, critics argue the context is different: ESPN’s Body Issue celebrated athletes’ physical achievements, while the Novig ad uses a non-athlete’s body to sell a sports product. Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said Sweeney, who holds equity in the company, drove the creative vision herself. The controversy has cost Sweeney over 200,000 Instagram followers, though Novig has seen a massive spike in app downloads and search interest.
